A minor boy was killed in firing at a gambling den in Babarganj on Wednesday morning.

The police said the boy was identified as Jichho Paswan, son of Puran Paswan, a daily-wage earner. The body was later sent to the nearby government hospital for post-mortem.

Some residents heard the sound of a gunshot around 10am. When they rushed to the spot they found the 12-year-old boy lying in a pool of blood. The victim, a Class VI student, had left home for school when the incident occurred.

Victim’s mother Anita Devi (40) said she came to know about the incident when a neighbour informed her that Jichho was killed in a blast inside the abandoned house of an employee of National Thermal Power Corporation.

“I immediately reached the spot only to find my son killed,” she told the police. Investigations suggested that the body of the child bore a bullet injury mark on the chest.

Anita, who runs a grocery shop, said he was unable to understand why Jichho went inside the abandoned house of the National Thermal Power Station employee. “The place has virtually turned into a hotspot of gamblers and criminals,” she added.

Residents said they have seen the boy loitering around most of the time in the village and he hardly went to school.

Bhagalpur superintendent of police Vivek Kumar said the reason behind the death of the boy was yet to be ascertained. “No firearms have been found at the spot. Searches are on to seize the weapon used in the crime,” the SP said, adding that raids have been initiated to nab the assailants.

He added that he has directed the station house officer of Babarganj to step up vigil in the area.

“I have also warned the station house officer of stern action if complaints about gambling and other illegal activities were reported from the area,” he told The Telegraph.

Residents said two incidents of explosions were reported from the area earlier. “The police have become silent spectators. We are spending sleepless nights as crime level have shot up alarmingly recently,” a resident said. A police officer also said some residents had heard an explosion around the time the boy was killed. However, he added that residents could have got confused between a gunshot and a blast sound because the spot of the crime is deserted and the sound could have echoed.

Man shot at, looted

Criminals on Wednesday shot at and injured an employee of Western Union Money Transfer agency before looting Rs 8 lakh from him at Dhanuati in Siwan. Superintendent of police Vikas Barman said three motorcycle-borne men fired at Narendra, the employee, who was also on a motorbike going to office at Nautan. He was carrying a bag containing the money, which he withdrew from a nationalised bank. The injured man has been admitted to a hospital and raids were on to nab the culprits.